Trixie 61011 Running wheel, plastic, ø 28 cm (Assorted)

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A related exercise device is a running disc. This is a rotatable shallow bowl, or slightly concave disc, which is set an angle to the horizontal. [40] Some commercial refuges for caged rodents have a disc mounted on the roof at a slight angle. The rodents run on the rim of the disc in a similar way to running in hamster wheels. Beaulieu, A.; Reebs, S.G. (2009). "Effects of bedding material and running wheel surface on paw wounds in male and female Syrian hamsters". Laboratory Animals. 43 (1): 85–90. doi: 10.1258/la.2008.007088. PMID 19001065. S2CID 22308514. To make it worse, hamsters are nocturnal creatures too, which means you can often say goodbye to sleep and hello to midnight marathons. Tierärztliche Vereinigung für Tierschutz ( TVT) recommends wheels should be at least 20cm (8″) for Dwarf Hamsters and at least 30cm (12″) for Syrian Hamsters, since smaller diameters lead to permanent spinal curvatures, especially in young animals. “ The research also found that hamsters use their wheel for an average distance of 8.3km per night.

Meredith, Susan (2000). Hamsters. Tulsa, Okla.: EDC Pub. p.30. ISBN 9780794507961 . Retrieved 21 June 2020.Kandasamy, R., Calsbeek, J. J., & Morgan, M. M. (2016). Home cage wheel running is an objective and clinically relevant method to assess inflammatory pain in male and female rats. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 263, 115-122. Hill, Lorraine (2004). Caring for your hamster. Franklin, TN: Dalmatian Press. p.64. ISBN 9781403708854 . Retrieved 21 June 2020. Most plastic wheels tend to be incredibly squeaky and noisy, and given hamsters can run up to 6 miles in one day, the endless rattling can soon become a living hell. Hamsters are protected under The Animal Welfare Act and there is a good argument that small hamster wheels should be banned. In addition, Hamster cages which are too small to fit an adequate sized wheel should also be banned. The neurotransmitter systems involved in wheel-running behavior have received considerable study. [29] Recent evidence suggests that changes in both dopaminergic and serotonergic tone alter running-wheel activity. For example, one study in mice has shown that several antidepressant medications (all of which directly or indirectly enhance serotonergic tone) suppress running-wheel activity without suppressing general locomotion. [30] The endocannabinoid system also contributes to wheel running in a sex-specific manner in rodents. [31] Mice from lines that have been selectively bred for high levels of voluntary wheel running have altered responsiveness to drugs that alter dopamine and endocannabinoid signalling, and enlarged midbrains. [32] Animal welfare considerations [ edit ]

Aschoff, J., Figala, J., and Poppel, E. 1973. Circadian rhythms of locomotor activity in the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) measured with two different techniques. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology 85: 20-28. Hamsters are protected by The Animal Welfare Act, it makes owners and keepers responsible for ensuring that the welfare needs of their animals are met. These include the need:Alderton, David (2002). Hamster: a practical guide to caring for your hamster. London: Collins. p.128. ISBN 9780007122820 . Retrieved 21 June 2020. Coutinho A.E., Fediuc S., Campbell J.E., and Riddell, M.C. 2006. Metabolic effects of voluntary wheel running in young and old Syrian golden hamsters. Physiology and Behavior 87: 360-367.